MNI China Press Digest, Jan 14: Trade, Yuan, Employment

     BEIJING (MNI) - The following lists highlights from the Chinese press for

Monday:

     Several key catalogues of trade -- listing key areas for service exports,

encouraged areas of service imports, as well as restricted technologies for

import and export -- have been revised and will be released soon, China

Securities Journal reported today. China's new catalogues for service export

will add the digital economy, digital industries and internet-related

industries, the paper reported, citing Li Jun, director of the Institute for

International Service Trade under the Ministry of Commerce.

     The downward pressure on the yuan in recent months has eased, and the

currency is likely to fluctuate in the future, Xinhua News Agency reported

Saturday, citing market analysts. According to Chen Kaifeng, the chief economist

at Forex Signs Financial Management, the recent appreciation of the yuan against

the greenback is due to the Fed slowing interest rate hikes, the weakening of

the dollar and the market's worries about the U.S. economic growth, Xinhua

reported.

     China's urban registered unemployment rate was 3.8% at the end of 2018, a

new low in recent years, with a general oversupply of job vacancies, Zhang

Jinan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security said, CCTV News reported

Sunday. Stabilizing employment is the top priority of the government and it will

boost the economy. The Ministry will continue to put forward new policies to

promote employment, Zhang said, CCTV reported.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: wanxia.lin@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$Q$$$,MBQ$$$]